Niger Innis: Too Extreme for Nevada Families

In yet another example of national Republicans’ tone deaf recruiting, Tea Party firebrand Niger Innis announced that he will run for Congress and attempt to bring his radical, out-of-touch agenda to Washington. For his entire career, Innis has pushed the wrong priorities and extreme positions that devastate Nevada’s middle class families.

As the chief spokesman for the ultra conservative Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and frequent television talking head, Innis has espoused rigidly conservative and controversial views, defended discredited politicians, and advocated for the kind of dysfunctional politics that have created the least productive Congress in history.

“As a Herman Cain acolyte, it’s hard to envision Innis bringing commonsense solutions to the table that help grow jobs, provide affordable health care, or strengthen Nevada’s middle class families,” said Tyrone Gayle of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Niger Innis’ entry into Nevada 4th congressional district race guarantees a relentless focus on radical social and economic policies that would do nothing to solve the problems of families in Nevada.”

BACKGROUND:

Innis Strongly Agreed With Statement That White Liberals Were The “Most Racist People Out There.” In April 2013, while appearing as a guest on Erin Burnett OutFront, Innis agreed with comments made by Dr. Ben Carson accusing white liberals of being the “most racist people out there.” Innis acknowledged that Carson’s phrasing was “a little clumsy,” but added that his sentiment was “dead on.” [Erin Burnett OutFront, 4/03/13]

Said Carson was a “Hero,” “Role Model,” and “Credit to the Human Race.” In April 2013, Innis, while appearing as a guest on Sean Hannity, described Carson as a hero, role model, and credit to the human race. “I think Ben Carson is a hero. He is a wonderful role model. He's a credit to the race, the human race. He’s an outstanding individual,” Innis said. [Fox, Hannity, 4/01/13]

Innis Described Gun Control as “Racist.” In April 2013, Innis, speaking on behalf of the Congress of Racial Equality, said that gun control was fundamentally about “people control” and “sprout[ed] from racist soil.” [Telegram & Gazette, 4/09/13]

Innis Defended Discredited Former Presidential Candidate Herman Cain. In November 2011, Innis, while appearing on Fox News on behalf of Herman Cain’s campaign, stated that Cain was the victim of racist stereotyping in the midst of his sexual harassment scandal. [Mediaite, 11/08/11]

Group Linked to Innis Launched Campaign Alleging Solyndra Was Bad for Black Community. In September 2011, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), launched a campaign alleging that Solyndra and President Obama’s green agenda stifled innovation and exacerbated unemployment, thereby harming the black community. [Salon, 9/16/11]

CORE Had Close Ties to Big Oil. “A group with ties to the oil industry has launched a campaign to play up the Solyndra story as a way to discredit the concept of ‘green job’ and renewable energy in general. The group behind the new effort is the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which was once a key player in the civil rights movement but in recent decades has become known for embracing right-wing politics and operating at the behest of big corporate funders. Among those is ExxonMobil, which has given money to CORE through its foundation.” [Salon, 9/16/11]